The road was long and stretched out under the blazing sun. The wastes between Madison and Oshkosh were only sparsely populated, though the skeletal remains of houses dotted the landscape. It lent the entire journey a menace and made Miles quite uneasy. His eye roamed everywhere as they walked, trying hard to not let the ravings of the concussed 'Annie' distract him. He was only partially successful. She ranted and mumbled like a madwoman.
Each time a new group of travelers passed them, the tension rose palpably. Most of them were Trailviners, and all of them asked where they were coming from. The group's story of being attacked by pistol-wielding bandits held up, but only just. Every time they told it, they could see the raw skepticism in the eyes of the travelers. Someone must have gotten back to Oshkosh with word of what happened, because some people mentioned the one thing no one wanted: the Crawleys and Trailviners were officially at war, and they were the cause of it.
They stayed on their guard the entire trip, but luck was on their side, and no one challenged them. Finally, the Dreamer and Trailvine stronghold of Oshkosh breached the horizon. The group gave a light sigh of relief, which was quite short lived. A small market sat outside of the walls with booths selling food and drink for high prices. The problem came with an armed gate, where the guards searched everyone attempting to enter, and confiscated their weapons. After a quick debate, they decided not to put up a fight. Here, their bandits story held even less water, and they could tell no one bought it. Though the guards, proving helpful, pointed them to a hospice tent to get 'Annie' more help than the hospital was able to provide. Once they dropped her off, they went to the real market.
It was easily as large as the one in Madison, maybe larger, since this was the Trailvine headquarters. Here, the alliance of convenience between the Trailviners and the Dreamers was evident everywhere they looked. The Dreamer logo on banners flew above the market, and on patches of uniformed guards. The whole scene put Miles on edge, and his two remaining companions looked equally nervous. The party picked up some rations and water before doing what they originally wanted to come here for: look for Hanna.
The only thing they managed to find out was that everyone knew her and liked her. That would make their job difficult. They felt a little demoralized when they went back after an hour to get 'Annie'. She started ranting about not getting any booze, but the staff ignored her. When she saw the rest of us, she waved us over frantically.
"Guys! Guys! I heard some people talking while they thought I was asleep. The Crawlers and Trailviners are both looking for a group of four people, three women and a guy."
Miles winced, "Maybe we should talk about this in a more private place?"
She looked around and grimaced, "Yeah, sorry. I'm feeling better, but my head is still swimming. Can we get some food?"
"There's a bunch of vendors in the market," Alice pointed.
"Yeah, we can talk out there..." Miles eyed the hospice workers, who eyed him right back.
They found an empty table and sat, aware of eyes on their every movement. "Let's keep our voices down," the Librarian said, fixing her gaze on 'Annie'.
"Okay, the two factions are looking for us?" Miles asked, voice barely above a whisper. "How should we handle this?"
"I'll tell you! We get out of here, and get as far away from everyone as we can!" 'Annie' was not keeping her voice down. "You killed someone and started a war, Miles!"
The other three looked around. People were staring. One man stood and walked over to some of the guards. He pointed at them.
"Shit. Come on, let's go." Miles stood, but he felt a meaty, very strong hand on his shoulder.
"I think you should come with me, friend."
Miles turned and looked up. "Uh... something wrong... friend?"
"The guards want to have a word with you. Don't know what, don't care. We don't like trouble here. Understand?"
Miles swallowed. "Yeah... crystal clear." He turned. "We, uh, should talk to the guards." They nodded. Even 'Annie'.
The guards took over and nicely asked them to follow them, in a way that set Miles' teeth on edge. They obviously had no choice, as more guards flanked them. All wore the Dreamer insignia. They escorted them to a tower on a bridge. It was the Dreamer's security headquarters, Miles knew. "Better and better," he muttered.
They were taken to a roomy holding area with a table and chairs and told someone would be right there. Forty minutes later, an official looking man walked in with a clipboard and looked them over.
"So... in town long?"
Miles sighed. "No, we're just looking for someone. Then we'll move along."
"Oh?" The man said, looking at his clipboard. "Who, maybe I can help."
The Librarian bit her lip. "Her name is Hanna. She stole some things from us. A compas and a gun. We just want them back."
The man's eyebrows rose. "Hanna? Well... that's odd. Hanna isn't one to steal. She's always been stand-up here."
"She hired us to find a neckless. When we got the guy, not only did we find out that she paid him, but the neckless was fake."
"Don't forget the note," Alice said. "It said 'talk to the Lorekeeper', on it."
"Hmm. Well, then." He marked something on the clipboard and nodded. "Okay, if you'll just wait, I'll be right back."
"OH come on!" 'Annie' shouted. "We can't wait! We have to GO!"
The man looked shocked at her outburst. "Why is that?"
"The Crawlers are going to come for me! I need to go! I can't be here! They'll kill me for desertion!"
Silence descended and everyone stared. He had put it together in his head after the caravan fight, but he could tell the others hadn't quite got there yet.
"Yes! No! Not anymore! Please! We have to go!"
The man's lips thinned into a line. "You'll stay put until told otherwise. You try and leave, we'll shoot to kill." He turned and left, the door shutting behind him with a disturbing finality.
Each time a new group of travelers passed them, the tension rose palpably. Most of them were Trailviners, and all of them asked where they were coming from. The group's story of being attacked by pistol-wielding bandits held up, but only just. Every time they told it, they could see the raw skepticism in the eyes of the travelers. Someone must have gotten back to Oshkosh with word of what happened, because some people mentioned the one thing no one wanted: the Crawleys and Trailviners were officially at war, and they were the cause of it.
They stayed on their guard the entire trip, but luck was on their side, and no one challenged them. Finally, the Dreamer and Trailvine stronghold of Oshkosh breached the horizon. The group gave a light sigh of relief, which was quite short lived. A small market sat outside of the walls with booths selling food and drink for high prices. The problem came with an armed gate, where the guards searched everyone attempting to enter, and confiscated their weapons. After a quick debate, they decided not to put up a fight. Here, their bandits story held even less water, and they could tell no one bought it. Though the guards, proving helpful, pointed them to a hospice tent to get 'Annie' more help than the hospital was able to provide. Once they dropped her off, they went to the real market.
It was easily as large as the one in Madison, maybe larger, since this was the Trailvine headquarters. Here, the alliance of convenience between the Trailviners and the Dreamers was evident everywhere they looked. The Dreamer logo on banners flew above the market, and on patches of uniformed guards. The whole scene put Miles on edge, and his two remaining companions looked equally nervous. The party picked up some rations and water before doing what they originally wanted to come here for: look for Hanna.
The only thing they managed to find out was that everyone knew her and liked her. That would make their job difficult. They felt a little demoralized when they went back after an hour to get 'Annie'. She started ranting about not getting any booze, but the staff ignored her. When she saw the rest of us, she waved us over frantically.
"Guys! Guys! I heard some people talking while they thought I was asleep. The Crawlers and Trailviners are both looking for a group of four people, three women and a guy."
Miles winced, "Maybe we should talk about this in a more private place?"
She looked around and grimaced, "Yeah, sorry. I'm feeling better, but my head is still swimming. Can we get some food?"
"There's a bunch of vendors in the market," Alice pointed.
"Yeah, we can talk out there..." Miles eyed the hospice workers, who eyed him right back.
They found an empty table and sat, aware of eyes on their every movement. "Let's keep our voices down," the Librarian said, fixing her gaze on 'Annie'.
"Okay, the two factions are looking for us?" Miles asked, voice barely above a whisper. "How should we handle this?"
"I'll tell you! We get out of here, and get as far away from everyone as we can!" 'Annie' was not keeping her voice down. "You killed someone and started a war, Miles!"
The other three looked around. People were staring. One man stood and walked over to some of the guards. He pointed at them.
"Shit. Come on, let's go." Miles stood, but he felt a meaty, very strong hand on his shoulder.
"I think you should come with me, friend."
Miles turned and looked up. "Uh... something wrong... friend?"
"The guards want to have a word with you. Don't know what, don't care. We don't like trouble here. Understand?"
Miles swallowed. "Yeah... crystal clear." He turned. "We, uh, should talk to the guards." They nodded. Even 'Annie'.
The guards took over and nicely asked them to follow them, in a way that set Miles' teeth on edge. They obviously had no choice, as more guards flanked them. All wore the Dreamer insignia. They escorted them to a tower on a bridge. It was the Dreamer's security headquarters, Miles knew. "Better and better," he muttered.
They were taken to a roomy holding area with a table and chairs and told someone would be right there. Forty minutes later, an official looking man walked in with a clipboard and looked them over.
"So... in town long?"
Miles sighed. "No, we're just looking for someone. Then we'll move along."
"Oh?" The man said, looking at his clipboard. "Who, maybe I can help."
The Librarian bit her lip. "Her name is Hanna. She stole some things from us. A compas and a gun. We just want them back."
The man's eyebrows rose. "Hanna? Well... that's odd. Hanna isn't one to steal. She's always been stand-up here."
"She hired us to find a neckless. When we got the guy, not only did we find out that she paid him, but the neckless was fake."
"Don't forget the note," Alice said. "It said 'talk to the Lorekeeper', on it."
"Hmm. Well, then." He marked something on the clipboard and nodded. "Okay, if you'll just wait, I'll be right back."
"OH come on!" 'Annie' shouted. "We can't wait! We have to GO!"
The man looked shocked at her outburst. "Why is that?"
"The Crawlers are going to come for me! I need to go! I can't be here! They'll kill me for desertion!"
Silence descended and everyone stared. He had put it together in his head after the caravan fight, but he could tell the others hadn't quite got there yet.
"Yes! No! Not anymore! Please! We have to go!"
The man's lips thinned into a line. "You'll stay put until told otherwise. You try and leave, we'll shoot to kill." He turned and left, the door shutting behind him with a disturbing finality.